A couple, Funmilayo Bamidele and Abiodun David, and four other people were abducted while returning from their engagement ceremony in Eruku, Kwara State. The incident occurred when their vehicle was intercepted by suspected bandits along the Iyemero-Eruku Road. The victims were taken away, and their whereabouts remained unclear as of Sunday. The abduction happened after the driver took a back route to drop off the best man and other group members in Iyamoye, Kogi State.
The vehicle conveying the victims was later found parked at an abandoned police station in Ayetoro, Ekiti State. Kwara State Commissioner of Police, Adekimi Ojo, confirmed the incident and said security agencies had launched a joint operation to rescue the victims and arrest the perpetrators. Soldiers were combing the bush in search of the victims and their abductors. The police operatives in Kwara, Kogi, and Ekiti states were collaborating on the rescue operation due to the incident's location around communities bordering the three states.
This abduction is part of a series of kidnapping incidents reported in Kwara State in recent weeks. On 22 August, the Onigbesi of Igbesi, Oba Moses Omotayo, and two other victims were abducted in Igbesi, Isin Local Government Area. Police rescued them on 27 August and killed one suspected kidnapper during the operation. Additionally, Iya Ayoka, the first wife of the Baale of Dabu in Ifelodun Local Government Area, was abducted on 24 August.
The growing insecurity in Kwara State has raised concerns among residents and travellers, particularly along the state's border communities. The latest abduction incident adds to the series of kidnappings reported in communities across the state. Babatunde Fasilat, a 23-year-old from Wande community, was also abducted, and his abductors demanded N20 million ransom.
Commissioner of Police, Adekimi Ojo, assured that the police were working tirelessly to rescue the victims and bring the perpetrators to justice. The joint operation by security agencies in Kwara, Kogi, and Ekiti states aims to tackle the growing insecurity in the region. The police are investigating the incident and trying to establish the motives behind the abduction.
The abduction of the couple and four others has caused fear and anxiety among residents in the affected communities. The incident has also highlighted the need for increased security measures along the Kwara-Kogi border. Authorities are working to prevent further incidents and ensure the safe release of the victims.
The investigation into the abduction is ongoing, and the police are appealing for information that could lead to the rescue of the victims. The incident has sparked a renewed call for improved security in the region, and the authorities are under pressure to take decisive action to address the growing insecurity.
Key points
- - A couple and four others were abducted along Eruku-Iyemero Road, linking Kwara and Kogi states. - The incident is part of a series of kidnappings reported in Kwara State in recent weeks. - Security agencies have launched a joint operation to rescue the victims and arrest the perpetrators.
